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I have a 78 CJ7 inline 6 AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l 1bbl carb with a quadra tac system. im looking for maintenance tips, do's or dont's, to keep it in great running condition. i use it for desert cruising and trails as well as a street driver. basic tune ups is an obvious, looking for tips regarding quadra trac. thanks
1979 Jeep CJ5 with 304 V8, T18 Transmission, Dana 20 Transfer case with TeraLow 3:1 gears, 4.88 axle gears, Detroit Locker up front and Ox Locker in back with 1 piece axle shafts, 36" SuperSwamper SX Tires, Shackle reversal, MileMarker Hydraulic winch, MSD 6A ignition.
#1 tip for a QuadraTrac is to never let the oil level get low. The QuadraTrac was the first chain drive Transfer Case and it did not have any method to account for chain stretch. The chain tension was not adjustable. If the chain is worn it can even jump teeth. At that point you will also have to replace both cogs.
The QuadraTrac was also the only full time Transfer Case in a CJ. Some people don't like full time transfer cases. They are great for a daily driver when you may run into poor traction or snow. You don't have the binding of other transfer cases when you go around corners. This is because the TCase has a differential in the case.
You can buy a kit to convert it to part time. MileMarker makes such a kit. You then add manual locking hubs to the front. This kit also includes a new chain and cogs so it is not far away from a full rebuild. It replaces the main wear parts. You can go one step farther by replacing the bearings.
The QuadraTrac has a bad reputation, especially with hard core off-roaders but in reality it's a very good tcase if properly maintained and oiled.
EDIT: you say you use it for desert cruising. This TCase has been very popular with desert racers. They put some very powerful engines in front of the QuadraTrac . They like the fact that it has a differential. When you are desert racing you don't need that front drive shaft locked into the same speed as the rear. You are not going to get stuck when you are flying over the dunes. That's another advantage: when you jump an off-roader with a conventional TCase it will experience tremendous forces when you land. The QuadraTrac is more forgiving. If you land nose first the differential in the QuadraTrac allows the drive shafts to suddenly change speed up as you slam back to earth.
Oh yes, I did notice you said desert cruising not desert racing so this may not pertain to you, just a little more info I thought I would throw out there.
It is my understanding that the Mile Marker has suspended making of the conversion kits and that available parts from them are now Limited . Chains are still sold by Crown or similar suppliers but they are all imported and not of the quality Mile Marker offered and replacement of the chain from stretching will be more frequent.
with Busadave9 ..1 tip for a QuadraTrac is to never let the oil level get low. The QuadraTrac was the first chain drive Transfer Case and it did not have any method to account for chain stretch. The chain tension was not adjustable. If the chain is worn it can even jump teeth. At that point you will also have to replace both cogs.
You can buy a kit to convert it to part time. MileMarker makes such a kit. You then add manual locking hubs to the front. This kit also includes a new chain and cogs so it is not far away from a full rebuild. It replaces the main wear parts. You can go one step farther by replacing the bearings.
Often overlooked is the greasing of the three zerk fittings on the constant velocity joint on the front driveshaft; two u-joints and the yoke/ball.
You need a needle adapter to grease these properly; if you don't grease regularly and properly, the shaft will become worn and sloppy, and take out the side of the auto Transmission case.
So crawl underneath and with a flashlight, look for signs of rust around the u-joint caps and with your hand, rotate/wiggle the shaft. If the zerks look dry or no fresh grease present, grease them up.
If you don't do your own maintenance, service folks will often say when you ask about these zerk fittings, "yep, we got them". Ask to see the needle adpater in person; if they can't show you a needle adapter, they didn't grease them.
with Busadave9 ..1 tip for a 
